Search results for: 'artists born on this day'

Born in 1937 in Calcutta, Ganesh Pyne lost his father before his teens and personally witnessed the horrors of Partition. The social violence and despair of the 1940s and the tumultuous political events of the 1970s had a deep impact on his psyche and work. Coupled with the influence of his grandmother’s stories, Pyne developed an individual style of poetic surrealism woven around mythology and Bengali folklore. Learn More

The true pioneer of cubism in India and acclaimed for his satirical works of art, Gaganendranath Tagore was born on 17 September 1867. Along with his Nobel-laureate uncle Rabindranath Tagore, and brother Abanindranath Tagore, he was at the forefront of cultural revival in Bengal in the early twentieth century; the brothers established the Indian Society of Oriental Art, Calcutta, in 1907. Learn More

Born Gulam Rasool Dar in a Shia Muslim family in Srinagar in Kashmir on 20 June 1929, the artist took on his wife’s Hindu name ‘Santosh’ as his own, in a move opposing patriarchy and religion. His father’s death forced a young Gulam to work as a signboard painter, papier-mâché artist, and weaver. He learnt to paint watercolour landscapes from Dina Nath Raina in Kashmir before studying under N. S. Bendre at M. S. University, Baroda, on the recommendation of S. H. Raza. In Baroda, he produced a large body of figurative and landscape works, mainly in the cubist style. Learn More

Born in Sindgi, Karnataka, Iranna G. Rukumpur, popularly known as G. R. Iranna, grew up on his father’s farm, worked in the fields, and studied in Sarang Math (a traditional village school or an ashram) where he discovered his early interest in drawing and painting. As a child, freshly laid-out roads were Iranna’s earliest canvases on which he drew images of Hanuman, the monkey-god, with chalk. Learn More

Born in Lahore in British India, Dhanraj Bhagat acquired a diploma in sculpture from the city’s Mayo College of Art. He began working with clay while studying but it left him uninspired as he found little individuality in its amorphous nature. It was when he got his hands on wood with its uniquely tactile qualities that he felt inspired to carve and create. Learn More

Devraj Dakoji was born in Dharmaji Gudem village in West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh to a family of Ayurveda practitioners. Picking herbs for his father every morning before going to school proved to be a lasting influence in Dakoji’s life, making nature the leitmotif of his art. Learn More

Born on 11 April 1953 in Sangli, Maharashtra, Dattatraya Apte grew up in a culturally-charged household. His father was a teacher and used to make Ganehsa idols for puja at home, a skill that young Apte learnt early on. He also learnt to paint photographs and retouch negatives with an uncle who was a photographer. Learn More

A self-taught artist, poet, storyteller, and an active member of the Communist Party of India, Chittaprosad was born on 21 June 1915. He drew inspiration from village sculptors, artisans and puppeteers. Learn More

Co-founder of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, Bose Krishnamachari was born in Magattukara village, Kerala, and came into prominence in the 1990s, after graduating from Sir J. J. School of Art, Mumbai, at a time when India was experiencing economic liberalisation. Learn More

Born in Calcutta, Bipin Behari Goswami studied at the city's Government College of Arts and Crafts, from where he graduated in 1956 with a diploma in sculpture and modelling. Learn More

Born in Bengal in 1917, Bimal Dasgupta was raised by his uncle, a government employee posted in Delhi. His uncle’s family did not support his ambition of becoming an artist, so he joined Calcutta’s College of Arts and Crafts in 1937 with his father’s help. Learn More

Born in a middle-class Bengali family on 21 June 1940, Bikash Bhattacharjee gathered his visual and intellectual ideals from the politically charged atmosphere of Calcutta during his growing up years. Learn More